The Thai Lottery: It’s More Than a Game
“Lotto culture is Thai culture,” Priyawit “Bom” Nikornpant insists. “If you study Thai beliefs and lottery beliefs, you will understand that the thinking systems are analogous.” The belief systems that cloak lottery-playing methodologies in Thailand are complex, starting with the seemingly simple process of buying a ticket. The first step is to choose which numbers to buy.
Tube Trek Water Park
All of Chiang Mai’s other pools and water parks have been blown out of the water since Tube Trek Water Park opened its doors earlier this year. Lofty slides, crazy flumes and lazy rivers meandering around the edges give this park its ability to please all types of people; from thrill seekers to chill seekers.
Some Corner of a Foreign Field: the story of the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery
On a shady patch of well-groomed land, flanked by a gentle brook which separates it from the bucolic grounds of the Chiengmai Gymkhana Club, lies the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery, a unique piece of real estate in Thailand, where foreigners may own small plots of land for perpetuity, a privilege only accorded at death.
Chiang Mai Does Cosplay
Cosplay comes from the combination of the words costume and play…if you hadn’t guessed it already. First made popular in mid-twentieth century Sci-Fi conventions of America, it really took off as a subculture in Japan during the anime and video game boom of the ‘80s. Today, it’s gained a worldwide following, mainly by the most dedicated fans of anime, videogames and cartoons who dress up as their favourite characters and adopt their personality for a day. Citylife decided to talk to a few avid cosplayers in Chiang Mai and find out more about these uber fans of anime.
Into the Jungle: An experience with Karen hunter-gatherers
The rain started to ease as we reached a village perched upon a mountain’s peak near Mae Wang. As the tarmac disintegrated into a dirt road that seemed to be part-timing as a small river, we slipped and slided our way, seemingly perilously, to the Karen village that was home to our local guide, DuanJan or John. The trek was organised by Chai Lai Sisters, Thailand’s first sustainable trekking company run by indigenous Karen women who wish to raise awareness of their ways of life and the struggles they are facing as a wider community. For us it would be a challenging yet fun adventure into the jungle, but for John and many other Karen men, it would be just another day as a hunter gatherer, this time with a writer and photographer from Citylife in tow. After slinging a .22 rifle over his shoulder, grabbing a few homemade squirrel traps and slipping on a pair of flip-flops, jungle-John was jungle-ready. Pi the photographer and I required a few more amenities, donning our steel-toed Gore-Tex hiking boots before managing to stuff our waterproof backpacks with bottles of water and a change of clothing. I even slipped a Swiss army knife into my pack…just in case.
Fight Allergies with Absolute Health
Allergies affect more than 50 million people in the US, that’s a staggering one in five people. For Thailand, that ratio is 3 – 4 times greater. Allergies are simple immune responses to allergens and foreign bodies that our own body sees as a threat to our health. White blood cells are produced with the specific task of eradicating the allergen, causing our body to display symptoms such as rashes, colds, lethargy and other ailments.
An ode to the mahout
It was inevitable I would eventually fall in love with a local; inexorable that I would join the ranks of foreigners who have fallen into the cliché of losing their hearts to a Thai girl. It happened last week. It was love at first sight. Her name is Deedee. She has eyes that hold the secrets of the universe, a cracking pair of pins that go right up to her elbows and, not to be rude, a nose you could swing from. Deedee is, of course, an elephant.
Editorial: June 2017
Before there is mass panic and riots on the streets; no, I have no plans to go anywhere yet. It’s just that I’ve been spending a bit of time at the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery for my main feature this month. I have also been giggling hysterically, tearing up with emotions and riveted by historical vignettes from reading some of the obituaries in De Mortius, the fascinating book of obits of expats past, soon to be in its 7th publication.